Biosphere 2 Ocean Analytical Lab
The Biosphere 2 Ocean has a dedicated wet laboratory for preparation and processing marine biogeochemical samples. This laboratory is housed in the analytical laboratory building on the Biosphere 2 campus. This laboratory has 2 fume hoods, Milli-Q water, glassware, and consumables for basic sampling of the microbial community and water quality of the B2O. This includes a hand-held colorimeter (Hach) for nutrient analysis, peristaltic pump for metabalomics, vacuum pump for metagenomics, and fixatives for preparing samples for microscopy. UA Cryogenics will transport liquid nitrogen, dry ice, and other cryogenic materials needed for sample preparation. Finally, we have access to a modest amount of space in existing -80 and standard freezers in the analytical facility. The Biosphere 2 Analytical Lab has 6 lab room spaces.
For more information about the Biosphere 2 Ocean Analytical lab, please contact Dr. Diane Thompson.
Geochemistry Lab
The biogeochemistry laboratory at Biosphere 2 is used to study chemical processes in soils and sediments as influenced by flowing water, plants, and microorganisms.
Biogeochemistry laboratory is equipped with all necessary equipment needed to process a large number of samples that LEO is generating (chemical hoods, ovens, centrifuge, autoclave, muffle furnace, source of ultra-pure water, analytical and table top balances, pH and conductivity meter, soil sampling equipment, mortars/pestles and sieves to prepare samples for analyses).
The biogeochemistry laboratory has a range of equipment for liquid and solid phase analysis, including
- Shimadzu TOC-L Series Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and nitrogen analyzer equipped with auto-sampler for water samples (TOC-LCSH), and a SSM-5000A unit for analysis of solid samples;
- Dionex UltiMate 3000 ultra high precision liquid chromatograph with enhanced quaternary analytical pump, autosampler with integrated column compartment, and diode array detector for determining concentrations of organic compounds in solution;
- ICS 5000 ion chromatography system with dual capabilities for carbohydrates, aminoacids, cations and/or anions, including auto-sampler, capillary and analytical pumps, conductivity and electrochemical detectors, and eluent generators for both pumps;
- Agilent gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) system (Agilent 7890A GC and Agilent 5975C Inert XL MSD with triple axis detector).
These capabilities allow us determining availability of nutrients to the plants, exudation of a range of compounds by the plants in response to environmental drivers, release and transport of lithogenic elements through the soils, among many other applications. The laboratory also has high-capacity equipment for conducting flow-through column experiments, including a Master Flex peristaltic pump and Teledyne ISCO Foxy 200 automatic sampler/fraction collector.
In addition to supporting LEO and other Biosphere 2 research, we also provide hands on experience and training using many different instruments in the lab for researchers and students interested in soil and water chemistry, and provide state of the art analytical services for other University of Arizona units.
For more information about the soil and sediment biogeochemical lab contact Dr. Katerina Dontsova.